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The Arts Intel Report

When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting

Zandile Tshabalala, Two Reclining Women, 2020.

May 25 – Oct 27, 2024
St. Alban-Graben 16, 4051 Basel, Switzerland

In 2019, the director Ava DuVernay made a harrowing mini-series called When They See Us, which examined the arrest and forced confessions of the wrongfully convicted “Central Park Five.” Three years later, this exhibition flips that title around, using the word “we” instead of “they.” It explores Black art across centuries and continents. Coming from institutions in 26 countries, 200 works make up the show. Resilience, globalism, and joy are all part of the conversation. Notable artists include Jacob Lawrence, Amy Sherald, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. —Elena Clavarino

Photo courtesy of Zeitz MOCAA